Hobbies have an appreciation period, you might get bored after a while. But there are three things that I will always love, read, travel, and music. There is a saying in Chinese, “读万卷书，行万里路，胸中脱去尘浊，自然丘壑内营，立成鄄鄂。” It means that read as much as you can and go as far as you can, so that you will let go of the dust in your heart and build your own system. Reading is another way of traveling, and traveling is another way of reading....
I was having a wrap up meeting with my advisor few days ago, and he asked me something like “tell me what you really want to do, in general”. I can’t stop thinking this question. My path to this postiion is not common. My undergraduate program, master’s program, and PhD program are all different. They are all in the “education” category in general, but the focuses are diverse. I completed my undergrad back in China, which is a program that is only offered in China, and it has nothing to do with STEM....